Bummer.

My TPB of Green Lantern vs. Aliens has finally fallen apart to the point where it's virtually unreadable. I haven't read it to death--it's a cute story but not a big-time re-reader. And yet I can't pick it up without a few pages falling to the floor. That's just not right.

What I'm wondering is if this is going to be something common to my growing collection of trades. Because that would, you know, suck.

Still looks decent

There's a bit up at Newsarama about the new Supergirl mini, a particularly kid-oriented bit.

We're getting it even though the eight-year-old isn't a huge Supergirl fan, and the book is a little young for the thirteen-year-old who is.

Silver age DC question

So why is it that they changed Green Lanterns (from Alan to Hal) and Flashes (from Jay to Barry) in the first place, rather than reviving the Golden Age originals?

The Invincible Iron Toy!

The kids and I went to Burger King today, and although they've both outgrown kids meals, today they got 'em because, well, Iron Man toys!

As in "Rapid Punch Iron Man." He's got a backpack sort of thing that you pull on a string, and Iron Man sort of scrabbles madly with bent arms. It was rather a disappointment. (I'd been hoping for the roller skates...)

Things I don't understand about other comic book fans

So I went online to order my July comics today.

Last month at about the same time I did the same thing (with regard to the June comics, of course), and also noticed something called "Pull List" on the menu. (It may have been there all the time, old eyes and tiny fonts don't work all that well together.) Anyway, I thought "hey, cool, I can get a head start ordering and lessen the chances of forgetting anything!"

This month, remembering that I'd set that up, I clicked on the list, looked up at the top of the screen where you get a running total for your shopping cart, and just about went into shock.

Turns out that if you use the pull list, it automatically adds every single variant cover for all the books you're ordering.

Once I'd removed the variants, the total was within the acceptable range.

All right, I know that I care less than a lot of folks about the covers on my comics. A bad cover will never stop me from buying a book I want. It just won't. I suppose that if I were buying my books in person, and there was more than one cover available for a book, and there was no price difference among them, I might prefer one cover over another. But to pay more for a comic just because of the cover? Just not happening.

That three questions thing that's making the rounds

No, no one tagged me--at least, not that I know of (am a bit behind on my Bloglines reading)--but enough folks just said "do it if you want to" that I feel tagged enough.

1) What was the first comic you remember reading?

Fantastic Four 132. I know I read comics before that, but that was the first one to make a strong impression, and I'm not sure why because it's really a soap opera of a storyline--it's the one where Johnny Storm's girlfriend breaks it off with him in order to take up with Quicksilver (yeah, that was a bright idea). I think it may have stuck in my mind because, most of the time, comics held to the status quo as far as relationships went (Superman had the same girlfriend for 70 years, after all), and here that didn't happen. And I was irritated that it meant she wouldn't be coming back to the book, and I always liked her power set, though she was certainly particularly underused even for a Stan Lee woman.

2) What was the first comic that made you realize that you might be in this for the long haul?

I don't think there was a single comic that did that for me--probably more a case of me looking over at the piles and piles of comics in my possession and coming to that certain realization.

3) If you had to make a snap decision to take one comic or one comic run to a desert island, what would it be? Don't think too hard!

Oh, that's a hard one. My first thought is the current Captain America run, because it's a good story and fairly re-readable. However, it's also a relatively short run compared to some, so I think I'd probably want to go with something more lengthy, just as a matter of practicality.

Maybe the 70s-early 80s Legion of Superheroes books, starting with the Cockrum era! Excellent fun and enough of it to keep me occupied for a good long time.

So am I weird, or are there other folks who see this meme and start thinking of the best ways to keep those comics from disintegrating in the doubtlessly-humid climate of that desert island.

(And before anyone says that a desert island wouldn't be humid because it's a desert island, I'm reasonably sure that "desert" in that context refers to the island being "deserted." :))

Comics where you don't expect them [Spoilers, old ones]

I still can't get used to the idea of mainstream media taking an interest in comic books. Previews being published at Entertainment Weekly? That's just...odd, isn't it? I know that comics are entertainment. You know (presumably, if you're reading this blog) that comics are entertainment. The average person? Might have read them as a child, gave them up by junior high, and thinks that they're just for kids. (No doubt only because they haven't priced 'em lately, but still.)

When the death of Captain America hit the "real" news, that wasn't such a surprise to me, although the sheer volume of coverage was. After all, Cap had been around since the 40s, back when comics were a far more popular form of entertainment. Whole generations grew up knowing Cap in some incarnation--the subject was of potential interest to anyone from WWII vets onward. Not to mention the wide-spread use of his image in various marketing ploys--even people who have no idea who Cap is or what he's about are familiar with him in that sense. The image is iconic even if the particulars of the character may not be (not saying they aren't, just saying that more people know what a Spider-Sense is than can identify the Super-Soldier Serum). And because of this, it doesn't take a lot of work for people to be interested in his death.

The reappearance of the Barry Allen Flash? Nothing against the Flash, and no downplaying his importance within the DC universe, but as far as I can tell his influence didn't really extend far beyond the comic world. Superfriends ensured that people know who he is, but I'm not sure that most people know that there have been four (there have only been four, right?) different Flashes. (Actually, I lie. I'm pretty sure that most people don't know that.) It requires more thought (and maybe actual research!) to understand why it's important ("What, the Flash is back from the dead after twenty years? I know for a fact that my cousin was reading his comic book three years ago!")

In any case, while it's very cool to see comics mentioned outside of the comic-specific media, any mainstream coverage of most comic-related material is going to be unsatisfactory to fans. That's all right. Well, maybe it'd be nice if someone out there picked up on the notion of spoilers. :)

Looking forward to this a lot!

There's a brief, not too spoilery discussion of Avengers/Invaders 1 up. Looks decent, as far as I can tell.

Thoughts on Captain America 37 [Spoilers]

- The interactions between Faustus and the Skull are always interesting--watching Faustus testing the waters to see how far he can push the Skull, and perhaps becoming a little overconfident of his own irreplaceability?

- Sam is awesome. Just had to say that.

- "Where I'm from, the good guys fought on the same side, they didn't just start throwing punches at each other." What? You mean like when the original Human Torch first met the Sub-Mariner? :) The hero fight is not a modern phenomenon!

- Why is Clint calling Bucky "kid," anyway? Aren't they supposed to be approximately the same age? Although, actually, just about everybody seems to be doing that. Okay, Tony Stark, maybe he's old enough to get away with it. And Nick Fury, I can easily buy him doing it--in fact, I think at this point Nick is allowed to call anybody "kid." But Clint?

I suspect, though, that it has less to do with relative age than with the fact that for a lot of the folks in the Marvel U, Bucky occupied semi-mythical status for so long that he's still perceived as a kid, even though he hasn't been one for a very long time.

I would imagine, however, that doing so would not be the best way to get on his good side.

- I liked the dream sequence, a good, realistic portrayal of the way things that don't really make sense together tend to meld within a dream. The way it turned from typical dream illogic into something meaningful was nicely done.

- So this is the second issue in a row where Bucky describes himself as a "fast healer." Last time, I assumed he was just trying to downplay his injuries. And maybe it is just something to say in order to not get sidelined, but maybe it's not? The Black Widow is a "fast healer" and they were in the same facility at some point so it's possible that he's had some sort of upgrade at some point--although she also ages slowly (at all?) and that doesn't seem to be the case with him, so I'm leaning toward that not being the case. And I'm hoping it's not the case, as well. I think the idea of a relatively normal human being (apart from the bionic arm) attempting to fill the shoes of somewhat-superhuman Captain America is a lot more interesting than if it turns out he's got a chemical advantage as well.

- Sharon is also awesome. But I have no idea how she is going to get herself out of the situation she's in on the last page.

A new Spider-fan?

We got our first three issues of Amazing Spider-Man in the comic box yesterday. If it had been up to me, it wouldn't have occurred to me to get it, but the thirteen-year-old was interested in checking it out. She liked it, so goal accomplished.

As for me, I have no idea how it compares to the pre-One More Day issues, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. (Not because of any OMD-related complaints, but because I've just never been that interested in Spider-Man at all.) I particularly appreciated the scene with Wolverine in the New Avengers' hangout, which went a long way toward explaining how that whole thing works "now." And while I don't know who most of the apparent regulars are supposed to be, there was enough information there so I wasn't entirely lost, so I'd say that the book is fairly friendly to new readers.

I can see how the "lovable loser" thing could get annoying after a while, but at this point it's still kind of cute. Ask me again in a year. :)

Tag, I'm it!

I will admit, freely, that I'm not all that creative when it comes to tagging my blog entries. I'm generally just pleased when I remember to do it at all, and if I can maintain any consistency I figure it's a very good day. I often tend to err on the side of too general, for fear of having too many tags, so the tag is useless for actually finding anything. That said, I was doing something-or-other today and came across the list of how many times I'd used each tag.

The obvious use for this information was to compile a top ten list. So here it is.

59 comic thoughts
57 comic reviews
50 captain america
35 action figures
35 comic blogging
24 links
22 deep comic thoughts
21 kids
20 jla
19 ms marvel


I think maybe I need to start erring on the side of too specific.

500th post (whoa, how did that happen?)

Somehow I managed to notice that I was coming up on my 500th post here, and this is it. While I'm not sure how remarkable it is to have reached 500--after all, anyone who's posted on a daily basis for a year and a half has passed that mark--there's something about it that makes me want to say a little bit more. I'm also coming up on my two-year mark in a couple of weeks (a little pre-planning would have enabled me to hit both on the same day, I suppose), which astonishes me for some reason.

What's changed since I started this blog? Well, I buy more comics now. In part because I now buy from both Marvel and DC, but also, more comics all around.

And I blame/thank the comic internet for my expanded consciousness.

For my introduction to Green Lanterns (what, there are more than one?--and they're not all like boring old Superfriends Hal?).

For pointing me toward the Morrison JLA run as a good intro to the DCU.

And toward the Giffen-era League for an alternate view.

Also, I liked Identity Crisis (please don't yell at me).

For convincing me that buying 52 issues of 52 was a good thing. It was. (Buying Countdown was all my own idea. I'm glad I did it, but I won't deny my own responsibility there.)

For showing me pretty pictures of comics I then have to have.

For giving me so many, many options when it comes to getting pissed off about comic books. (Mostly I don't, but if I want to, now I can!)

For adding hours to my time spent per week online. Yeah, I needed to do that. :)

And for introducing me to so many interesting and awesome fellow comic fans.

Thank you, internet!

Some Golden Age humor

Presented without comment, because really, what else is there to say?

Shave and a haircut?

Because I always loved the old SHIELD barbershop.

And yes, I'm still sick, so you get to make up your own "stud release button" joke.

Silver Age Nick Fury awesomeness

No comment necessary. :)

Yet another Black Widow cool moment

From Captain America 36:



Here Natasha, clearly a bit irked, reminds the new Cap that yes-she-needs-resuing-but-is-still-damn-cool Sharon Carter is more than just the old Cap's girlfriend.

And the search for meaning (or maybe not) goes on.

Still too sick to think or write, but if you go to the DC Universe Message Board you can find a discussion of Countdown as an existentialist text.

More comics?

I'm enjoying the hopefully-last cold of the season (it's snowing today so I hope it's the end of the season!), so the brain isn't up to actual thought today, but I think we will probably be getting The Adventures of Supergirl in the Eighth Grade. For the nine-year-old, of course.

It's hard to judge a comic from the art (which is cute), but the concept itself is appealing.

Because I have nothing to say tonight...

...I asked the kids for some help. They were playing with the action figures tonight, so I asked them each their top three favorite, most playable figures.

The thirteen-year-old says:

1. Batgirl
2. Psylocke
3. Sentry

The nine-year-old says:

1. Phoenix
2. Black Widow
3. Nightcrawler

They also like Patriot "except he has giant feet!" So, I pointed out, does Nightcrawler. But the nine-year-old assures me that they are "cooler feet." (He is also missing a head and a tail--they're taped on but always fall off. This, apparently, has no effect on his playability.)

Bendability is of the greatest importance.

They also consider removable clothing a plus (like Reed Richards' lab coat and Gambit's trenchcoat).

The lazy woman's approach to comics and the internet

1. I know a lot of folks don't care much for Newsarama. Personally I like it fine, but then I'm not going there looking for all of my comic internet addiction needs. I think it fills its particular niche well.

2. And one of the things I do enjoy there is the regularly-scehduled comic book promotions aimed at keeping up the readers' interest. I don't read them all, just the ones focused on titles of particular interest to me for whatever reason. And, as I mention in the just-linked post, they seem to serve that purpose--I kept on being interested in what was coming up next in Countdown right up until the end.

By the way, there's a new regularly-scheduled promo up for Captain America. Not that I need any encouragement whatsoever to keep buying that book, but I still enjoy the advance peek into the next issue. They've had the feature for quite a while, some variation on the "Captain America is still dead" theme, but haven't always done the preview pages, and that's kind of neat as well--here the images are black and white, with no dialogue of course, which is suppose is the bare minimum of spoiling you can do, and it's cool. (Next month's looks excellent, by the way--it'll be good to see more of the Falcon.)

I'm also a fan of previews but would probably be more of one if I actually bought my comics from a store every week--by which I mean that in that case I'd be a better target for that sort of marketing. As it is, this stuff doesn't necessarily affect my purchasing. I preorder online and get my books in the mail. So while an occasional preview might get me to order that book as a back issue when it becomes available, or at least to keep an eye out for the trade eventually, for the most part I don't seem to bother.

I read features and interviews if they're to do with a book I'm already interested in, and I read them if they're about an upcoming book that sounds good. Since these often take place far in advance of a title being solicited, that bit of marketing works pretty well on me.

3. See, I don't read my comics with all that critical of an eye, and by that I mean that I tend to go into them assuming I'll like them. Generally, I do. If I find that I'm not enjoying a book I'll give it some time to pick up, but I'll eventually drop it--I dropped Iron Man and apparently that's generally considered to be quite good, but I found myself being put to sleep by it. (I'm sure it doesn't help that the character doesn't appeal to me as much as he used to, post-Civil War.) If I weren't actually spending money on them, I'd probably give them longer before giving up.

4. And as for the comic internet, well, I pretty much read it all. (All the stuff that includes discussion of superheroes. I don't read the manga-oriented blogs, or those that focus solely on independent titles, because I don't tend to read those.) The lengthy detailed reviews and the two-liners, the picture posts and the opinion pieces, the liberal and the conservative comic readers, the erudite and the grammatically-challenged, the safe and the controversial, the jaded old fans and the bright sparkling newbies. One thing this means is that I have 158 comic-related feeds in my Bloglines, and I don't read all of them every day. (I tend to sit down for a few hours on the weekend and catch up.) Of course there are some sites I make a point of reading every day, and no, I'm not going to name them. :)